Gone Country (Rough Riders #14)(100)

Roger said, “It’s okay. You can get closer.”


Gavin murmured, “Why’s she covered up?”


“Hypothermia. She was really chilled when they brought her in.”


“How long was she out in the elements?”


“Dad?”


His heart leapt at hearing her voice. “Sierra-bear. I’m here, sweetheart.”


Her eyes opened. Tears immediately poured out. “I’m so sorry. I know I was stupid… I never meant—”


“Ssh.” He held her face in his hands. She was so cold. “We can talk about all that other stuff later. I’m just happy you’re mostly all right.” He swiped away her tears with his thumbs and kissed her forehead. He let his lips linger, needing to reassure himself she was breathing.


“But I need to know if Boone is okay.”


Gavin pulled back and looked into her pain-filled eyes. “Boone?”


“Boone West. He was driving.”


Boone West. Why did that name sound familiar? Right. The punk-ass kid who’d worked on the garage with Chet and Remy West. If that little f*cker was responsible for the accident it didn’t matter if he was all right because Gavin was going to f*cking kill him.


“Your boyfriend is okay,” Roger said. “He’s being checked out in another room.”


“He’s not my boyfriend,” Sierra whispered.


“Even if he was, he wouldn’t be after this,” Gavin snapped.


“Don’t be mad at him. He wouldn’t let me drive because I’d been drinking. It’s not his fault.”


“Not his fault,” Gavin repeated. “You’re in the hospital after he wrecked your car. That puts him entirely at fault.”


“Mr. Daniels,” Roger warned.


Gavin clenched and unclenched his fists. He wanted to inflict pain on that kid for the pain Sierra was suffering through. Somehow, he got control. He touched Sierra’s good shoulder, but she flinched anyway.


“Don’t. That hurts.” More tears slid down her face.


“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” Gavin looked at Roger. “Have you given her anything for the pain?”


Alan shook his head. “She’s a minor and we couldn’t administer anything until you arrived. Plus, it’s too risky with alcohol in her system. She’s on an IV to clear it out faster. Meantime, we’re putting an icepack on the injury every thirty minutes until it’s safe to give her pain meds.”


Dammit. He felt so helpless. He wanted her to stop hurting now.


A white-coat-wearing doctor came around the curtain. He said, “I’m Dr. Abernathy,” to Gavin, but he focused on Sierra. “How are you feeling, young lady?”


She whispered, “Stupid.”


He smiled. “I hear that a lot in here, trust me. Let’s talk about your injury. You in pain?”


Sierra nodded.


“Scale of one to ten, ten being the highest.”


“Nine.”


The doctor jotted that down. “How about your head?”


“Hurts really bad. So does my neck.”


“Your entire body will feel like that for several more days, sorry to say. But I’ll point out that you’re lucky. The accident could’ve been a lot worse.” He gently patted her good shoulder. Then he faced Gavin. “You’re her father?”


“Yes.”


“I’ll get right to it. The CT scan revealed a mild concussion, which is actually good news. I expected a little more head trauma since the airbag didn’t deploy.”


Jesus.


“Her clavicle sustained a fracture. A little worse than a hairline fracture, not as bad as a multiple fracture. Given her age, I’d say she’ll heal completely in twelve weeks.”


“Three months?”


“She won’t have to wear the sling the entire time. She can probably remove it after three weeks and only wear it at night for the next four weeks. But any activity that requires her to put pressure on that part of the body? Minimum amount of rest is twelve weeks.”


“What other treatment will she need?”


“We’re keeping her overnight. Unless something unexpected shows up from the accident, I’ll release her tomorrow. She’ll need rest. I’ll write a script for pain meds. She’ll need to see her regular doctor in two weeks just to make sure everything is healing properly. She’ll need physical therapy at some point.”


His thoughts were racing as he tried to process it all. “What about school?”


“Your call. But since she is right handed, and she won’t be able to use that hand or arm for the first two weeks, I suggest she remain at home. My other concern is an accidental fall. Sidewalks, parking lots and roads are dangerously icy this time of year. For her, even a minor fall could cause major damage.”


“Understood. And thank you.”


Dr. Abernathy motioned to Roger. “Start her on Demerol.” They conversed in medical jargon.